Xiang Yu, knowing that he had saved his lover from such tornt, made him feel a great sense of ease. He was more than willing to suffer in this place for all eternity if it ant Han Xin would be safe. Thus, he sat up on the cracked stone floor, seeming more relaxed.
His gaze was fixed on Xue Wuheng, who stood like a monunt to cold fury, his aura sharp and glacial. But Xiang Yu was no longer afraid.
"It seems lonely here," Xiang Yu said, voice calm despite the ache in his chest. "I will keep you company."
Xue Wuheng sneered, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusent. He leaned down, his breath cold against Xiang Yu’s cheek. "You little demon," he hissed, "you underestimate your value in Han Xin’s eyes. I am certain, even now, they’re scrambling to find a way to get you out of here."
Xiang Yu’s heart clenched. He knew Han Xin if he rembered the love they had for each other, he would fight to get him free. But he also knew the Divine Emperor would never risk his son’s safety for anyone.
Xiang Yu sighed inwardly, his voice quiet. "You said it yourself... Han Xin is one of a kind. There’s no way his father would do anything risky."
Xue Wuheng’s lips curled into a terrifying smile, his eyes narrowing. "So you are willing to stay here and die a slow, painful death?"
Xiang Yu leaned back, arms behind him, knees bent casually as if settling in for a long stay. "I might as well get comfortable."
Xue Wuheng’s lips twitched, his expression darkening. "You would rather your soul endure the excruciating pain of being gnawed at by tiny, fierce insects... slowly eating away at your flesh for thousands and thousands of years? No reprieve. Just pain... Worse than death."
Xiang Yu didn’t flinch. His eyes t Xue Wuheng’s with quiet defiance. He shrugged, his voice light despite the weight in his chest. "h... so what do you do here for fun?"
Xue Wuheng blinked. For a mont, his cold composure fractured. He stared at Xiang Yu as if seeing him for the first ti. The boy had Divine veins, yes, but they were dormant, sealed like forgotten relics.
What pulsed through him now was pure demon blood, wild and unrepentant. He should have been cruel, selfish, untethered. Yet here he was, sacrificing himself for that damn immortal. It was... undemon-like. Disgustingly so.
Since this conversation was over, Xiang Yu got up, unwilling to spend another second in Xue Wuheng’s presence.
He suddenly winced, clutching his ribs as he stood. Pain laced through him like fire, but he limped forward, step by step, until he reached the crumbling threshold of the hall. He collapsed onto the stone stairs with a groan, his breath shallow. The air was still, unmoving, yet his hair fluttered gently as if stirred by sothing unseen.
He gazed at the blood-red horizon, eyes glistening. His heart ached more than his wounds, but he smiled anyway—soft, fragile, defiant. Closing his eyes, he let go. Of fear. Of hope. Of everything. And in that surrender, sothing shifted.
Tendrils of light, faint and golden, began to stir within him. The dormant Divine power, long buried beneath layers of pain and demon blood, began to unravel.
It was slow, subtle, like a whisper in the void, but it was awakening. And Xiang Yu, unaware, simply smiled wider, basking in a peace he hadn’t felt in years.
He raised his trembling hand, eyes fixed on the ring glinting against the crimson sky. It shimred more brightly than usual, as if responding to sothing unseen. "Xin-ge... don’t co find ," he whispered, voice barely audible.
"Just take care of Lian and i for ." The words drifted into the still air, soft and aching, as though Han Xin stood before him, listening.
Behind him, Xue Wuheng stepped out silently, his gaze narrowing. Sothing in Xiang Yu’s aura had shifted, subtle, yet undeniable. The boy’s Divine veins were supposed to be dormant, buried beneath demon blood. Yet now... sothing stirred.
Xiang Yu, oblivious, suddenly clutched his stomach. A wave of nausea overtook him. He doubled over, dry heaving violently, though nothing ca out. His body trembled, sweat beading on his brow.
After what felt like an eternity, he collapsed onto the stone floor, eyes glazed, staring up at the red sky, unaware that sothing ancient within him had begun to sprout.
***
Han Xin soared through the clouds, his robes trailing like silver fla. As he reached the Sky Palace, his feet touched the divine marble with a grace that belied the storm brewing in his chest. His expression was carved from ice cold, sharp, and unmistakably furious.
Inside the grand hall, the immortals were already deep in debate, their voices clashing like thunder. Han Xin moved silently behind their thrones, unseen, his gaze burning holes into the loudest dissenters, those who insisted Xiang Yu remain imprisoned in the Realm of Annihilation. His jaw clenched as he glanced at the highest seat, where his father sat with furrowed brows, visibly exhausted from the argunt.
Without a word, Han Xin turned and strode through the side door, his steps regal, each one echoing with divine authority. He entered his father’s study, a chamber of celestial glass overlooking the vast expanse of the divine realm. The silence here was different... heavy, expectant.
Monts later, his mother and Han Zhan arrived in the hall, their presence commanding attention. Han Jun t his wife’s eyes and instantly sensed the urgency. She didn’t say a word but her reaction spoke volus. She rushed toward the study. Han Jun followed behind her his heart pounding.
Inside, Han Xin had already made his decision. He didn’t hesitate. He was his father’s equal in power, and he could draw the banishnt mark himself. It would allow him entry into the cursed realm but no return. For Xiang Yu, he would do anything.
He found the Divine brush, sat cross-legged in lotus pose, and extended his arm. As the bristles touched his skin, they ignited with radiant light. His eyes glowed, and his divine power surged outward, wrapping around him like a shield forged from love and fury.
Just as the glowing bristles of the Divine brush hovered above Han Xin’s skin, a whisper, thin as mist and soft as breath slipped through the air. Han Xin froze.
His gaze dropped to the ring on his finger, its surface shimring faintly against the golden light swirling around him. He didn’t rember when he’d put it on, or why, but it pulsed with sothing ancient and intimate. Removing it felt unthinkable like severing a part of his soul.
"Yu Yu..." he whispered, voice cracking with grief.
It was Xiang Yu’s voice. Faint, distant, but unmistakable. How?
Before he could make sense of it, the doors burst open. A gust of divine wind followed, and with a flick of Han Jun’s hand, the brush was torn from Han Xin’s grip, flung across the room by an invincible force.
"Han Xin, are you crazy!" Han Jun roared, his voice shaking the walls.
Han Xin’s mother stepped forward, her face tight with frustration. "Stop yelling at our son," she snapped. Her eyes softened as she looked at her only child. "Xin-er... I want to save Xiang Yu too. But this, this isn’t the way."
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